Some Americans have called for a boycott of the Swedish vodka because of the ads showing a map of how America looked prior to 1848, when California was still part of Mexico.

The controversial campaign created by the Teran/TBWA ad agency carries the headline, “In an Absolut World,” which presumably appeals to those Mexicans who feel that the US robbed them of their northern territories.

The implied suggestion that California, Texas and other parts of the American southwest would belong to Mexico in an “absolut,” that is to say a perfect world, has provoked an angry response in El Norte, particularly in the blogosphere.

“Absolut is pandering to ignorance, historical illiteracy and Mexican national chauvinism. I'll never drink Absolut again,” declared a blogger named Ted, responding on the Internet to an article in the Los Angeles Times on Saturday about the vodka manufacturer's Mexican ad campaign.

The issue of illegal immigration to the United States is one of the most infected issues in the run-up to the American presidential election in November, and the vodka advert has ruffled feathers on the northern side of the border. Jeffrey Moran, a spokesman for Absolut in New York, told the LA Times that the ads won't be running in the US.

“This ad certainly has nothing to do with immigration issue or anti-Mexican sentiment. It's based on a historical perspective on what Mexico once was. That's all,” he said.